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Colorado Justices Question Whether Cities Can Withhold Key Facts To Beat Lawsuits
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Colorado Politics, Approved, State

Colorado Justices Question Whether Cities Can Withhold Key Facts To Beat Lawsuits

By Michael Karlik | Colorado Politics Members of the Colorado Supreme Court seemed to be on different pages when they considered on Tuesday whether a woman injured by a sidewalk defect in Manitou Springs was forever barred from suing the actual entity responsible because she did not learn until it was too late that Colorado Springs was the proper defendant. The Supreme Court agreed to hear the appeal of Jaimi J. Mostellar after a judge on the state’s second-highest court suggested lawmakers revise the Colorado Governmental Immunity Act to prevent public entities from torpedoing lawsuits by withholding the identity of the actual party responsible for an injury. The immunity law, with limited exceptions, shields public entities from lawsuits over injuries they cause. Its...
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Colorado Faces Federal Lawsuit as Griswold Refuses to Release Voter Data
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Colorado Politics, Approved, State

Colorado Faces Federal Lawsuit as Griswold Refuses to Release Voter Data

By Marissa Ventrelli | Colorado Politics The U.S. Department of Justice has filed a lawsuit against Colorado Secretary of State Jena Griswold after she refused to provide the agency with certain voter information. Last week, the DOJ’s Civil Rights Division asked Griswold’s office to provide unredacted voter data, including full names, dates of birth, residential addresses, and driver’s license numbers. Federal authorities have sought voter data from more than 20 states, saying it’s part of project to ensure election security. The DOJ lawsuit, filed in U.S. District Court in Denver, alleges that Griswold violated the federal Civil Rights Act by refusing to provide the records. READ THE FULL ARTICLE AT COLORADO POLITICS
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Colorado’s Economy Loses Its Edge as Costs and Regulations Rise
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Colorado Politics, Approved, State

Colorado’s Economy Loses Its Edge as Costs and Regulations Rise

By: Thelma Grimes | Colorado Politics Editor’s Note: Once among the nation’s fastest-growing economies, Colorado today confronts mounting challenges that threaten its momentum. This series reveals how a state once defined by prosperity is navigating economic cliffs and ridges. We explore the impact of increased regulations, tariffs, shifting tax policies, the high cost of living and widening urban–rural divides have on businesses, workers, and communities. The series also highlights the push to leverage Colorado’s outdoor economy — one of its most valuable assets — for renewed growth, while working to attract industries like quantum and aerospace while capitalizing on unique industries that call Colorado home. After taking office seven years ago, Gov. Jared Polis set an imm...
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Federal Judge Says Colorado Health Officials Not Liable in Gas Stove Label Fight
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Federal Judge Says Colorado Health Officials Not Liable in Gas Stove Label Fight

By Michael Karlik | Colorado Politics A federal judge last week dismissed the constitutional claim against leaders of the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment over a 2025 law requiring health disclosures on new gas-fueled stoves. In June, Gov. Jared Polis signed House Bill 1161 into law, which requires retailers of gas stoves to affix a “yellow adhesive label” that reads “UNDERSTAND THE AIR QUALITY IMPLICATIONS OF HAVING AN INDOOR GAS STOVE.” The label must also include a URL or QR code to a webpage created by the health department that provides “credible, evidence-based information on the health impacts of gas-fueled stoves.” The Association of Home Appliance Manufacturers filed a complaint asserting a single First Amendment vi...
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60% of Colorado Voters Say Public Schools Are Off Track Despite Record Spending
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60% of Colorado Voters Say Public Schools Are Off Track Despite Record Spending

By Marissa Ventrelli | Colorado Politics Most Coloradans believe the state’s public education system is in serious need of improvement, according to a recent Magellan Strategies survey . Meanwhile, the minority of respondents who view the state’s public educational system favorably praised teachers and noted improved outcomes. The survey, conducted by Magellan Strategies, collected responses from more than 1,000 voters across the political, economic, and demographic spectrum. Participants were asked questions about their views on the state’s public education system – from universal preschool to publicly funded colleges and universities. Nearly 60% of respondents said they believed the state’s public education system was headed in the wrong direction. W...
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Federal Court Opens Records in Colorado Dispute Over Gender Treatment Inquiry
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Federal Court Opens Records in Colorado Dispute Over Gender Treatment Inquiry

By Michael Karlik | Colorado Politics A federal judge ordered last month that the public be able to access the filings in Children’s Hospital Colorado’s legal challenge to a U.S. Department of Justice subpoena seeking a broad range of documents about patients, employees and communications. Children’s Colorado sought to keep its case shielded from public view, arguing that disclosing the details of the Justice Department’s request would traumatize patients and providers who work with puberty blockers and hormone treatments — the subject of the government’s request for documents. But in a Nov. 17 order, U.S. Magistrate Judge Cyrus Y. Chung noted the subpoena’s existence and the nature of services Children’s Colorado provides were already matters of public record. ...
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Study Warns Colorado’s High Theft Threshold Fueling Retail Crime Growth
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Study Warns Colorado’s High Theft Threshold Fueling Retail Crime Growth

By Mark Samuelson | Colorado Politics Shoplifting and other forms of retail crime are seeing a sharp rise as Colorado heads into the holidays, according to a study. After falling from a recent-record 24,975 thefts reported in 2015 to around 18,000 in 2021, Colorado Bureau of Investigation data show a jump to more than 27,000 shoplifting crimes in 2024, according to former Denver District Attorney Mitch Morrissey, who co-authored the study. The study was released in the past week by the Greenwood Village-based Common Sense Institute. It reported that shoplifting hotspots include Adams County, with 52,333 incidents over the span from 2014 to 2024; followed by Jefferson County, with 34,241 incidents; and El Paso County, 33,339 over the span. Other counties posting high numbers ...
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Allegations of Improper Spending Mount Against Bennet Campaign
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Allegations of Improper Spending Mount Against Bennet Campaign

By Marianne Goodland | Colorado Politics Three state campaign finance complaints have been filed against U.S. Sen. Michael Bennet, D-Denver, tied to his campaign for governor in 2026. A fourth is likely, sources have told Colorado Politics. The first two were filed on Sept. 24 and on Nov. 4 by Alyssa Holladay of Denver. Her political affiliation is unknown. The first two complaints were consolidated by the secretary of state’s elections division on Nov. 17. A response is due from the Bennet campaign on Dec. 3. The September complaint said Bennet is a candidate for both governor in 2026 and for the U.S. Senate in 2028 and he is actively fundraising and spending money for both races. Bennet, the complaint noted, filed a candidate affidavit for the Senate race on March 11, 2...
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Colorado Mourns Sen. Faith Winter After Fatal I-25 Crash
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Colorado Mourns Sen. Faith Winter After Fatal I-25 Crash

By Marianne Goodland | Colorado Politics State Sen. Faith Winter, D-Westminster, was killed in a car accident Wednesday evening on Interstate 25. The accident took place near the intersection of I-25 and Dry Creek Avenue in Centennial, according to the Arapahoe County Sheriff’s Office. Officers were dispatched to the accident around 8 p.m. Three people were injured and one died. While Arapahoe County would not confirm the identity of the fatality, Senate President James Coleman of Denver told Colorado Politics it was Winter. In a statement, Coleman and Senate Majority Leader Robert Rodriguez, D-Denver, said they are devastated to learn of Winter’s passing. “Today, our caucus grieves the loss of a dedicated public servant whose commitment to the people of Colorado never waver...
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Crow Draws Fire After Democrats Urge Troops to Reject ‘Illegal’ Orders
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Crow Draws Fire After Democrats Urge Troops to Reject ‘Illegal’ Orders

By: Thelma Grimes and The Washington Examiner | Colorado Politics President Donald Trump suggested on Thursday that Democratic veterans in Congress who urged military service members to “refuse illegal orders” from the Trump administration should receive capital punishment. In a Truth Social post, Trump wrote, “SEDITIOUS BEHAVIOR, punishable by DEATH!” The president’s message was aimed at several Democrats, including Colorado U.S. Rep. Jason Crow, along with with Sens. Elissa Slotkin, D-MI, and Mark Kelly, D-AZ, in addition to Reps. Maggie Goodlander, D-NH, Chris Deluzio, D-PA, and Chrissy Houlahan, D-PA. In a video posted Tuesday, the Democratic lawmakers told military and intelligence personnel to disobey orders that they allege are “unlawfu...
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